in need, indeed
by brutalitops
Summary: After almost a year of living with Troy and Abed, Annie was used to hearing the Inspector Spacetime theme song blaring through the apartment into her bedroom. Every now and again she found herself humming along.
1. amateur observer

After almost a year of living with Troy and Abed, Annie was used to hearing the Inspector Spacetime theme song blaring through the apartment into her bedroom. It became a routine in the Barnes-Nadir-Edison household. Every now and again she found herself humming along.

After Britta moved into the old dreamatorium, the boys started watching in their blanket fort (for the sake of Britta's countless documentaries and news stories about whatever crisis was going on in whatever country, _typical_.) Annie knew not to disrupt the boys and their favorite TV-show, but from time to time she couldn't help herself and pulled back the makeshift door to peek in on them. It's not like they ever noticed, so what was the harm in it?

It was nearing the end of Annie's usual study session when she heard the familiar tune of the song beginning. The corners of her mouth turned up into a tiny smile and without another thought, she closed her Political Science text book and hopped off her bed. Other than the theme song (which sometimes shook the walls, depending on the importance of the episode,) the entire apartment seemed silent. Annie wasn't suspicious in the least bit, she simply assumed Britta was out or alone in her bedroom working on some sort of psychology paper or reading _1984_ for the millionth time. However, when Annie quietly poked her head inside the blanket fort, her smile fell and she had to fight off a gasp.

Abed, who was usually grinning from ear to ear next to his best friend in the world while he watched the show, was completely alone with a blank face, staring at the screen like he didn't care about the program in front of him at all.

Annie gawked at him. It was the most unusual thing in the world to her, until it clicked in her mind.

**Britta and Troy.**

She had noticed them hanging out around the apartment more and more, she suspected a relationship would happen eventually regardless, but Troy ditching Abed and Inspector Spacetime? It was ridiculous. And a little bit sad.

The next time she heard the song, three days later to be exact, Annie peeked in again. She hoped Abed watching alone was merely a one-time thing, but once again, Britta's door was closed and Troy was nowhere to be found. Annie continued this routine and even started checking in on the blanket fort when the song wasn't playing through the apartment. Every single time, Abed was alone.

Annie sat in bed on one Friday evening, waiting patiently for the theme song to begin. She felt so terrible for Abed; she needed desperately to do something for him. So tonight, instead of just peeking into the blanket fort, Annie walked in and sat down next to him, her delicate hands shaking slightly.

"Annie, what are you doing?" Abed's robotic voice had a twinge of surprise. It sounded almost accusatory. Abed obviously had no idea how intimidating he could be sometimes. _Especially_ when it came to Annie.

She straightened her skirt and looked up at the screen. The X-7 Dimensionizer was landing in an odd looking planet and the Inspector stepped out in his usual curious fashion; Constable Reggie following suit. "I—um, wanted to watch Inspector Spacetime with you… Is that okay?" Annie was surprised by the tone of her voice. She was nervous? _Around _Abed?This had honestly never happened to her before, well... not for a while, at least.

Abed glanced over at her, scanning her face in a way that made her heart beat even faster. Annie gulped in anticipation and wiped her clammy palms on her thighs, pondering why in the hell she was so nervous around him. Her mind flickered to the past- to a place she tried not to wander. The paintball game more than a year ago, when Abed pretended to be Han Solo, and the crush Annie had on him that lasted a good portion of that following summer. One of the many times he dressed up as Batman and the mere caress of her cheek that made her nearly melt on the spot. His Don Draper impression and how Annie always cursed Shirley for stopping him before their lips could touch.

This wasn't like those times, though. Before, Abed was never actually being _Abed._ Now he was, and Annie was feeling the exact same way; reduced to a puddle of goo from just one glance. How was that even possible?

It seemed like a lifetime before Abed answered her. "I don't know… Maybe some other time." His voice was cold and Annie's chest and stomach tightened into a large knot—which she tried to pretend didn't happen just seconds later.

She could feel her so-called Disney face start to appear. "O-oh… alright then…" Annie managed a small smile and avoided eye contact when she sat up, straightened her skirt and walked off before Abed could notice the small tears forming in her deep blue eyes. He could be harsh, and who knew what he'd say if he saw that.

Just as Annie's hand pulled the blanket fort door open, Abed spoke again. "Wait, Annie…" he called after her. Annie's face lit up with hope and she swung around. "… I guess you could stay. For a bit." Abed's face softened and he smiled at her. Which for some odd reason, made Annie's heart melt. But she'd never, _ever_ admit that.


	2. balancing act

AN: Writing in Abed's perspective is really, really, _really_ difficult. I hope you enjoy. x

* * *

With a bowl of buttered noodles balancing delicately on his knees, Abed kept his eyes looking straight ahead of him instead of glancing over at Annie when she gracefully slipped into the blanket fort for the fourth night in a row.

At first, he couldn't help but be confused (not for very long, however, he realized what she was up to after about ten minutes of her sitting down next to him that first night.) It was no secret that Troy had been more invested in Britta than Abed since she moved in. As a rule, Troy returned to the top bunk to sleep every night and that hadn't changed, but it was almost like he didn't live there anymore. Abed missed him, obviously, but wasn't that jealous. Jealousy was petty—he was happy for his best friend. But couldn't he at least spend a little bit of time with Abed, regardless of how great his relationship with Britta was?

Annie was a smart girl and must've noticed Troy's absence, ultimately resorting to pitying Abed. No—not pity. More like _support._ He wasn't surprised, though. Annie would always help her friends. It's who she was, and Abed always admired that about her.

During their encounters, Abed pretended not to notice the way her voice always shook when she spoke—which was very rare in the first place. He also pretended not to notice the way she constantly pulled at the hem of her skirt or dress and brushed her fingers through her hair almost compulsively as they sat beside one another. It was a nervous habit of Annie's, something he picked up on after a week of knowing her.

He wanted to ask what was wrong. But he just kept his eyes to himself and the screen of his TV, glancing down at the bowl on his knees every now and again.

The end credits began to roll. "Abed, are you okay?" It was the first time Annie had asked Abed an actual question since the first night she visited him in his little sanctuary. Her voice bled with concern, and without even looking at her Abed could tell that her brow would be furrowed, and her bright blue eyes would darken with her expression. Her eyelashes would flutter a little and her lips would be slightly parted. He could also tell that it was completely genuine. Despite all of this, Abed kept his eyes to the front, staring at the all-black screen.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" It wasn't a tragedy that Troy wasn't hanging out with him much anymore; ultimately, Abed was okay. Lonely for the most part, but okay nonetheless.

"Oh… No reason."

Was this one of those times when you're supposed to make eye contact? Abed turned his head, noticing immediately that Annie looked rather dismayed—defeated in a way. He felt… bad. Annie was probably over-analysing everything about this conversation, no matter how insignificant it was—almost like he would, but in a completely different and rather naïve way. He decided not to comment on it.

"Annie, why are you doing this?" He asked; not to be harsh, just asking out of pure curiosity. "Wait… what do you mean?" Confusion played over Annie's face.

_Specify, Abed._ "I mean, sitting in here with me. Watching Inspector Spacetime with me like it's a normal thing for you to do? I'm sure you have better things to do, and not to be rude or anything, but you don't even know what a Quantum Spanner is for."

Annie was obviously taken aback. Abed could tell by the way she sunk back into her chair and glanced down at her lap. Merely a millisecond later, she started pulling at the hem of her skirt again. "I just… I don't know, you seemed…"

Abed cut her off. "Lonely?" Again, Annie sunk back in her chair. Abed didn't realize he was doing that thing again. He might just as well have said she operated on a lower level of brain function again. "I'm not lonely, Annie. I have all three of you living here. I still have the study group…" Abed glanced down and then back up at Annie, who looked much more distressed than before. "I'm perfectly fine with being alone every now and again. I did it for a long time before the study group. I did it for weeks when Troy was away at Air Conditioning Repair School. You don't need to hang out with me because you feel bad."

He smiled at Annie, but for some reason she still looked upset. "Did I misread something?"

"Yes." Annie's expression changed. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she pursed her lips. **_Angry._**_ Why was Annie angry?_

Abed watched carefully as Annie stood up, crossing her arms and glaring at him. His bowl of buttered noodles almost fell off his knees, but he caught it just in time. "Abed, I'm not doing this because I feel bad for you—okay, maybe it started off that way, but I just honestly really like spending time with you." _But why?_ All Abed was, in reality, was a pop culture reference in a graphic t-shirt and straight-legged jeans. "This isn't some sort of mission to make sure you don't go crazy like when we played Dungeons and Dragons with Neil. This is a genuine effort to spend more time with you because I like you, Abed! You really don't give yourself enough credit, do you?" Abed's eyes widened, only a little, and he slouched down in his chair.

Reacting to this was difficult. Maybe someone normal would know how, but this was Abed. He didn't know much aside from movie references and basic social functions.

"If you don't want me to hang out with you anymore, I won't. But just so you know, I'll always be around. So… I guess I'll see you later. Have a good rest of the night, Abed." Somehow, Annie's words actually cut pretty deep, which sure as hell wasn't a normal feeling for Abed.

Deep down, part of him wanted to stop her. Annie was just trying to help and apparently, get to know Abed a little better. He didn't understand it—he had no idea why Annie cared so much. But like with most things, Abed decided to just let it go. He never went after her. He simply sat alone with his now cold bowl of buttered noodles, and pressed play on the next episode of Inspector Spacetime.

He figured it was only a coincidence that instead of Reggie as the constable, it was Geneva.


	3. dreamland

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

After Abed completely rejected her efforts to make him feel better, Annie found herself lost in some sort of weird trance. He was stuck in her head like a virus; an infection, glued to the sides of her skull driving her insane with every second that passed. His words and assumptions made her want to scream, but for some reason, she continued to replay and analyse every last one as if it were the last thing she ever did. As much as she hated to admit, even if it were only to herself, Annie had a crush.

It was almost as bad as the summer after second year. How she rented all three Star Wars episodes and watched them back-to-back-to-back for days on end. The _constant_ dreams about Abed's Han Solo; the way he winked at her, held her hand, stood up for her, and of course—the breathtaking kiss that Annie knew she'd never forget in a million years. How the orange paint-stained vest that Abed had worn still hung at the very back of her closet (of course Annie washed it multiple times; no one wants the smell of Starburns lingering around their house.)

It was worse than her two-year long infatuation with Jeff and her high school obsession with Troy. Her relationship with Vaughn could never compare.

Abed Nadir. The single most intimidating man Annie had ever met in her life. He was driving her absolutely crazy, but that wasn't even the worst part.

They had to live together.

Every single day, he was there. Whether he was making buttered noodles, doing the laundry, studying at the dining table, or just loitering about the apartment doing god-knows what. She had to see him, be around him, every single minute of every single day. Annie barely left her room, being as stubborn as she was—she needed to prove her point. If Abed didn't want her around, she wouldn't be around.

If he did…

Well, Annie could only hold out hope.

-x-

Annie had always been known as an early-sleeper and early-riser. For years she had been disciplining herself into a solid sleep schedule, making sure she was always in bed and sleeping before 11 PM hit. Now that she was more or less avoiding Abed, she was going to bed even earlier than before as a result of having absolutely nothing else to do in the apartment.

Even worse, she couldn't stop dreaming about him. It was strange, though. When dreaming about Abed before, no matter the dream, he would be dressed up and acting like some character Annie loved (or found extremely sexy; depending on the dream's context.) Now, instead of a charming Han Solo or a sexy Don Draper… it was just _Abed._ He wouldn't be offering her cigarettes or wear an orange paint-stained vest; he would be completely Abed in every single way. And for some reason, Annie wasn't complaining.

In fact, she liked it more.

-x-

At 2:36 AM, Annie woke up from another one of her annoyingly persistent Abed-dreams. She knew what they meant; she was becoming infatuated with another member of the study group. That was the only explanation.

God, it was like she was a pre-teen again. It wouldn't surprise her if she started scribbling Mrs. Annie Nadir and Annie loves Abed and little hearts all over her notebooks and binders. Pathetic. She rolled her eyes at herself as she sat up from bed, pulling her bedhead out of her loose ponytail so it would hang around her shoulders. She was flustered and tired, but somehow she knew she wouldn't be able to get fall back asleep.

In hopes of not waking anybody up, Annie made sure she was as quiet as a mouse when she exited her bedroom, intent on going to the bathroom down the hall. She was halfway there when something caught her eye.

The TV was on.

Annie turned around, rubbing her eyes so they'd focus in the dim light. Someone was sitting in one of the two arm chairs, and Annie could tell it was Abed almost immediately because he always liked the one closest to the blu-ray shelf whereas Troy liked the one closer to the kitchen. Her heart started beating what seemed like a hundred times quicker, hammering in her ears as her entire body flooded with anxiety. Annie knew she needed to get out of there or she'd explode. So she spun around, tip-toeing as fast as she possibly could in the direction of her bedroom.

But the apartment was dark, and Annie's foot collided with one of the multiple DVD shelves, sending about twenty boxes rattling off the middle shelf and falling to the floor.

"Damn it!" Annie's foot stung with pain, but that wasn't what she was cursing about. Her clumsiness completely ruined her escape, and now she was stuck in the most awkward situation she could imagine. "Annie? Are you okay?" Her head shot up at the sound of Abed's monotone. He appeared in almost a second by her side, hand on her shoulder, making sure she was okay.

"I-I'm fine, Abed… It's not a big deal I just hit my toe on this stupid, inconveniently placed shelf… You know we really should redecorate this place I think it needs a new look…" she ranted nervously, trying her best to sound calm and inconspicuous while he knelt down, picking up the boxes that fell and sliding them each into their respective places in the shelf.

But Annie was probably the least subtle person on the planet, and Abed noticed her shaky, anxiety ridden manner in an instant. He stood back up, looked her up and down, narrowed his eyes and removed his hand from her shoulder. Annie almost whimpered at the loss of contact. "Something's wrong. You're nervous. You're never nervous unless something's really, really wrong. What is it?" There it was; that accusatory, curious tone that haunted her.

She shot an icy glare his way. "Abed, I'm fine." Her voice was harsh, making Abed take another small step back. Annie was extremely frustrated, more so than ever before, but the look on Abed's face made her features soften and a sigh escape her lips. "Crap… I'm sorry, Abed. I didn't mean for it to sound that way…"

"I know. It's okay. Is your foot hurting?"

Annie shook her head. Abed nodded, and with a small smile turned and sat back down in his arm chair, right next to the blu-ray shelf; his favorite place to be it seemed. Annie stared after him, mouth wide open. "Oh… well… good night then, Abed..." Annie's disappointment bled through her voice and even cracked on the second syllable of Abed's name. Her eyelashes fluttered as she took the last few steps toward her bedroom.

Annie closed the door behind her and let herself lean against it, sighing to herself quietly. Wonderful, she thought, hanging her head back and looking up at her ceiling. She wished the floor beneath her could open up and swallow her whole so she'd never have to face Abed again after that. Annie was so embarrassed; she could barely even stand it.  
Pouting, Annie carried herself to her bed like her entire body was made up of dead weight and flopped face down into her pillows. She would have been completely satisfied with wallowing in self-pity for the remainder of the night, but instead a rustling sound came from behind her door, followed by two quiet knocks. "Annie?"

She immediately sat up, her stomach twisting into a tight knot. "Yeah, Abed?"

"Goodnight to you too."

For some reason, it almost seemed like he had hesitated before walking away.


End file.
